(no subject)

[miss_lucy21]

There has been this epically long preHP fic roaming around in my head for, oh, I don't know, since I read POA, perhaps, maybe. It's all Remus's fault. Anyway, this is a tiny bit of it that's clamoring for attention tonight. I own nothing, really. It's all JKR's.

****

Minerva smiled a bit as she watched her former student maneuver around the tables of the tea shop in Edinburgh. She hadn't heard from Anna in months, and had been happy to meet her for a cuppa on this rainy November Sunday. "Anna!" she said, standing to greet her.

"Hello, Professor," Anna said, smiling a bit wearily. She shifted her son to her other arm to allow Minerva to grip her hand briefly.

"Come, come, sit. I was happy to hear from you. Remus, you're quite a big boy, now, aren't you," she said, ducking her head to try and catch the child's eye, but he hunched his shoulders and buried his face in his mother's shoulder. Minerva blinked. The last time she had seen Remus, last spring at a wedding reception for another former student, he'd been a cheerful and chatty bundle of energy, flitting happily between his parents as they mingled with other wedding guests. He hadn't been the least bit shy of her then. She looked inquiringly at Anna who just looked sad and tired. "Anna?" she asked.

"Something's happened," Anna said, quietly, peeling the heavy coat off of Remus and gently settling him so he was facing her chest instead of outward. "I wanted to see you, because we're going away for awhile, and I don't know when we'll be back."

"What's happened?" Minerva asked. "Is Jack all right?" She hadn't heard of anything happening to Jack Lupin, but she wasn't always able to keep up with all the news of her former students.

"Jack is fine. Well, mostly," Anna said. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "It hasn't gotten any easier to say. Remus was...bitten. About four months ago. By, well, a werewolf."

Minerva's eyes went wide with shock. "Oh, Anna. But it can't have been too bad, can it? He's..." she stopped herself before she could say *not dead*.

Anna shook her head. "The bite's mostly healed by now. But there's no way to prevent the infection, you know."

"Oh. I see," Minerva said.

"They wanted...well, the healers weren't very hopeful," Anna said,  "But he surprised them all, did you, Remus," she said, dropping a kiss on the top of his head. Remus picked his head up, but put it back on her shoulder right away. "My strong little fighter," she murmured.

"Anna, how did this happen?" Minerva asked. Werewolf attacks weren't rare, but they certainly weren't common, either.

Anna closed her eyes. "There was...an incident with Jack's work. Something went wrong, and well...someone felt the need to retaliate."

“Oh. Oh, Anna,” Minerva sighed. “I’m so sorry.”

“I am, too,” Anna smiled sadly. “So, we’re leaving the country for awhile.”

“But what about your apprenticeship?” Minerva asked. Anna had been awarded an apprenticeship with the Experimental Charms division at the Ministry. It was an opportunity that could lead to some very high level spell work, including a possibility of working with the Department of Mysteries. It had been all she had wanted when she took her NEWTs, and Minerva was surprised that she would give it up.

Anna shook her head. “I asked to be released. It…everything was very upside-down while Remus was in hospital. He’s only been out for two weeks.”

“You worked so hard, though,” Minerva said softly.

“Well, can’t always have what we want, now, can we?” Anna said, smiling a little bitterly. Minerva agreed that was true, but barely 21 was a terribly young age to have to face that truth.

“Where are you going?” Minerva asked after a moment of stirring her tea.

“Switzerland, first, I think,” Anna said. “Jack’s got some contacts who know of some people doing research…” her voice trailed off and she shrugged slightly. “We’ll see from there.”

“Anna,” Minerva said slowly, “there’s no cure.”

“No cure, here,” Anna said stoutly. “No cure, yet. I’d rather go and look for it than wait for it to find us. Besides, I’m not sure how safe it is to stay here. They wanted to…” she looked down at Remus’s head and bit her lip and shook her head. “It’s better to try.”

“I see,” Minerva replied. She thought she understood what Anna was trying to say. She would imagine that euthanasia had been brought up more than once by the staff at St. Mungo’s. “I wish you luck.”

“Thank you,” the younger woman said. “That means a lot to us.”

 “Mama?” Remus’s little voice piped up suddenly.

“What, love?” Anna said, tilting her head to meet his gaze. He leaned up and whispered something. “I don’t know, love, you’d have to ask Professor McGonagall if you could have one.”

Remus shook his head. “Lovey, if you want a biscuit, you have to ask,” Anna said firmly.

Minerva hid a smile as she watched Remus’s shoulders drop. She had a feeling his face was screwed up in a scowl from the look Anna was giving him. Slowly, he turned around and said very politely “May I have a biscuit, please?” He didn’t quite look at her, but the question had been at least audible.

“Yes, you may,” Minerva said, smiling as she held the plate out to him.

He carefully selected one and said “Thank you,” very precisely.

“You are welcome,” Minerva said, just as precisely.

“Is it good?” Anna asked as he tasted it.

“Mm-hm”, he nodded.

“Good,” she said, squeezing him tight. “He’s all but stopped talking,” she said to Minerva. “And he won’t hardly talk to anyone other than Jack or me at all, not even Jack’s mother.”

“It’s a lot to go through for someone his age,” Minerva said, nodding.

“I know,” Anna sighed. “I think he’ll do better away.”

“Be careful out there,” Minerva said. “Write once in awhile, eh?”

“Of course,” Anna said. “Anyway, I told Jack we wouldn’t be long. He’s been getting everything in order.”

“Right,” Minerva said, standing up as Anna pulled the coat around Remus again. “Be well, Anna.”

“We will,” Anna said, smiling. “It will all be fine.”

Minerva watched them go, and hoped the optimism was warranted.